In February 2018, the Sena got the proposal cleared in the standing committee through voting, despite opposition from BJP and SP.After holding back a proposal to construct a gymkhana for BMC officials at Mahalaxmi for a year, the Shiv Sena, keen to start the project, has proposed to reopen the plan.
The civic authorities had proposed a gymkhana for its officials on a plot reserved for a playground at a cost of Rs 57 crore. In February 2018, the Sena got the proposal cleared in the standing committee through voting, despite opposition from BJP and SP.
A notice of motion is being proposed by Sena group leader Vishakha Raut for reopening the proposal in the civic house in the next meeting. “The administration always wanted this gymkhana and the Sena was also in its support but in the works committee meeting, the Opposition managed to reject it. Later, the proposal was recorded in the house and no work order was given to the contractor for more than one month and the whole project was kept in cold storage,” a BMC official said.
“After attracting criticism, Sena leaders had also changed their stand and later wanted to scrap the project because of which they did not follow it up further. However, the administration was pursuing the issue and they insisted Sena leaders bring back the proposal and clear it,” a source said.
Another official from the garden cell department said, “Though the proposal was passed in the standing committee, later it was rejected in the works committee and recorded in the corporation meeting. After that, the proposal was kept on hold and the contractor was not given work order, so it could not start. Now, technically, the proposal will have to be reopened in the civic house.”
The proposed gymkhana will be spread on 7 acres at Keshav Khade Marg in Mahalaxmi and will have swimming pools, a gymnasium, a tennis court, a badminton court, a squash court, conference halls and 10 rooms. Currently, there are two dilapidated buildings for municipal staff on the plot.
The proposal had faced stiff opposition from the BJP and SP. Rais Shaikh, group leader of SP, had said that “the plot was reserved for a playground and constructing gymkhana on that portion is depriving citizens of open spaces. Also, most civic officials have memberships in private clubs and gymkhana then what is the purpose of constructing a new gymkhana.”
